Low Cost House

Case Study

S- House 3

Architects: Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Architects in Charge: Vo Trong Nghia, Masaaki Iwamoto, Kosuke Nishijima

Architect: So Adachi

Contractor: Wind and Water House JSC

Area: 31.0 sqm

Project Year: 2014

  The serial project, called "S House", has begun to propose a prototype house for low-income
classes in the Mekong Delta area. After building two successful case-study houses, a steel
structure model in 2012 and a precast concrete structure model in April 2014, a new prototype,
S House 3, was constructed in Ho Chi Minh City.

The aim of this serial project is to provide stable but lightweight, permanent but affordable
homes for low-income earners in a harsh tropical climate. Although there are many local
challenges such as weak ground condition, frequent typhoon and potential earthquake, the
structure is stable enough to withstand natural disasters. Passive design methods are applied
throughout the series, including but not limited to; natural lighting and ventilation.

Combining the advantages of the first and second prototype, S House 3 realizes a higher of
durability, flexibility, and easier construction while maintaining the affordability and lightweight
of the series. The main structure is made from lightweight steel. Slender steel lattice walls
secure, support, and rigidify the whole frames. Thus the number of beams is minimized, reducing
steel quantity greatly compared to previous prototypes - this structure only weights 1,200kg.
Pedestal, incorporated with foundation, is made of reinforced concrete. Thanks to this, the
galvanized steel structure is isolated from the ground, ensuring its durability even in a climate of
high temperature and high humidity. 

As was in the previous prototypes, the basic strategy of construction is a combination of modular
structural components and DIY finishes. Prefabrication helps to control quality, cost
management, and future mass production. Galvanized steel frame and precast concrete
foundation guarantee predetermined stability and accuracy.
The lightweight structure allows smaller foundation and transportability by small boats, since
waterways are still the dominant mean of transport in certain areas in Vietnam. By pouring
additional concrete, this compact foundation can be extended on site if necessary. Light frames
with simple bolted connection also encourage dwellers and neighbors to participate in
construction. All components are designed to be lighter than 60kg, to allow easier transportation
and construction - It takes only three hours to assemble the whole structure and roof. Finishing
materials can all be assembled and replaced easily by dwellers and neighbors. For the prototype,
lightweight cement board is chosen for cladding.

Starting from the Mekong Delta, the S House project is aiming to expand itself to the entire
Vietnam, South East Asia, and to the rest of world - India and African countries - , where low-
income people are suffering from poorly built environment. Lightweight components of the S
House are designed to be transportable by means of shipping containers.

There are large number of people in the country whose only source of livelihood is through the
act of asking for alms. Over the years this has turned into one of the largest organized crime of
human trafficking in the country. The community of beggars are one of the most ignored in the
country. Some state act make it a punishable offence to beg

and has provisions for imprisonment as well as for fine. The government of India does not run any
scheme or plan solely for beggars in the country and with regard to theirskill development. There is no
robust mechanism or framework that provide them with the opportunity to develop skill and earn a
respectable livelihood or fulfil their basic need like food, housing or shelter. These people are denied
their fundamental constitutional rights. This report aims to highlight the social situation of these beggars
in the society through the result produced upon sample collected during field visit conducted by group
ofstudents to reflect these realities to appropriate authorities so that they could take the necessary
action to improve the social well-being of these neglected fellow human beings

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The design of housing is one of the most difficult tasks in the field of architecture.
A proper understanding of the nature of human needs is of crucial importance in
the formulation of housing and space standards. A shelter provides people their
functional, social and spiritual needs. Therefore the dynamic issues on housing
which partly can be solved by bureaucratically administered; politically imposed
programs are seen as one of the method of solving housing shortages.
Different agencies, authorities and developers have come with numerous efforts to
solve the problems of low-cost housing within their local context, where situations
of many poor people depend on contractor-oriented, bureaucratic systems for
house building causing exorbitant costs for the final product.

Target group
 In ILO convention 2004 Begging is defined as:

“a range of activities whereby an individual ask anyone for money on the basis of being poor or
needing charitable donations for health or religious reasons There are large number of people in
the country whose only source of livelihood is through the act of asking for alms. Over the years
this has turned into one of the largest organized crime of human trafficking in the country. The
community of beggars are one of the most ignored in the country. Some state act make it a
punishable offence to beg

and has provisions for imprisonment as well as for fine. The government of India does not run
any scheme or plan solely for beggars in the country and with regard to their skill development.
There is no robust mechanism or framework that provide them with the opportunity to develop
skill and earn a respectable livelihood or fulfil their basic need like food, housing or shelter.
These people are denied their fundamental constitutional rights. This report aims to highlight the
social situation of these beggars in the society through the result produced upon sample collected
during field visit conducted by group of students to reflect these realities to appropriate
authorities so that they could take the necessary action to improve the social well-being of these
neglected fellow human beings